Blend of Cachaça Aging with Jackfruit (<em>Artocarpus heterophyllus</em>) Chips with White Cachaça: Physical-Chemical and Sensory Characteristics

Cachaça is a sugarcane spirit produced exclusively in Brazil and is the second most consumed alcoholic beverage by the Brazilian population. During the maturation process, carried out either in wooden barrels or with addition of wood chips, compounds such as organic acids and phenolic substances are extracted into the beverage, providing specific characteristics to the matured spirit. The present study objectivated to evaluate the physicochemical properties, phenolic composition, sensory profile, consumer acceptability and ranking preference of blended cachaças produced with cachaça aging with jackfruit wood chips (Artocarpus heterophyllus), with or without aeration, with white cachaça. The results showed that samples blended with a cachaça stored in stainless steel tanks containing wooden chips (SSW) presented higher values of total acidity, volatile acidity, total esters, dry extract, and total phenolic compounds when compared with cachaça stored under conventional conditions (CWB). Experts described the cachaça blends as having a balanced/harmonious flavor, moderate woody, alcohol and acidity, and a mild spicy. No significant differences were observed in consumer acceptability between treatments. However, the blended cachaças prepared with samples stored in stainless steel tanks containing wooden chips, showed greater preference among consumers. Therefore, blending unaged cachaça with cachaça aged with wooden chips appears to be a promising and advantageous alternative for the cachaça production process, since the physicochemical and sensory characteristics are preserved.